


A Haunting in the Waking World

by OfSnakesandCentaurs



Series: What Binds Us [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Characters are Connected, F/M, Female Reader, Haunting, Kinda?, Major Spoilers, Mention of Canonical Character Death, Reader-Insert, Spoilers, connected feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfSnakesandCentaurs/pseuds/OfSnakesandCentaurs
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi is definitely being haunted, but he slowly realizes it might not be as bad as he thought.The 2nd Prologue
Relationships: Sawada Tsunayoshi/Reader
Series: What Binds Us [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983938
Kudos: 22





	A Haunting in the Waking World

**Author's Note:**

> (H/C): Hair Color  
> (E/C): Eye Color
> 
> You don't have to read the 1st prologue to understand what's going on, but feel free to!

Sawada Tsunayoshi was having the strangest day.

Not just because a baby suddenly showed up spewing something about mafia heirs, and then _shooting_ him right in the forehead, but also because of the faint yet persistent feeling in the back of his mind that someone was watching him.

But no matter how hard he looked, he could never tell whose gaze it belonged to. And though it unnerved him somewhat, he resolved to shrug it off. For there were more pressing matters to think about – like the fact that this baby just proclaimed that he was to become the heir to a mafia family. And also, he was convinced that no one would willingly look at Dame-Tsuna unless it was to mock him.

~~~~~

He quickly realized that the person didn’t watch him all the time. There was no real pattern to their behavior, Tsuna concluded, though he noticed that they were always present whenever something crazy happened to him.

For example, he felt them when he was almost blown up by Gokudera, or when he talked with Yamamoto on the rooftop, or when he faced the notorious Hibari Kyoya of the Disciplinary Committee. But never when he was asleep or taking a bath – something which Tsuna was very much thankful for.

And then, on one particularly day, when he was hanging around with his friends (yes, he suppose he can call them his friends now) and they were being dragged into some shenanigans as per usual, Tsuna was certain that he heard someone laughing.

It was a fairly faint sound, one that would have gone easily unnoticed, but he heard it nevertheless. A light giggle that rang crystal clear in his ear, reminding him of wind chimes that fluttered in the breeze. He whipped his head around as he tried to discern whose laugh it belonged to. But it matched none of his friends.

At that realization, he had to refrain himself from tearing his hair out. Was he seriously hearing things now too?

And the worst part was, he didn’t seem to mind that laugh. A small part in him wanted to hear more of it.

~~~~~

Tsuna never thought that he would ever consider reporting a stalker, but what evidence did he have to prove this? Aside from the fact that he was certain someone was watching him, there didn’t seem to be any sign of anyone following him.

If there was, surely someone would have noticed something was off already. There was no doubt in his mind that Reborn, with his uncanny ability to know everything that went on in Namimori, would have already noticed someone suspicious. But none of them said a word about anything.

Which brought Tsuna to the only viable conclusion: he was being haunted.

Shivers ran down his spine as he suppressed a terrified scream at the thought, choosing to let out a low whimper instead. He was already dealing with being shot in the head, assassins wanting to kill him, a time-traveling bazooka, and a clumsy mafia boss on a near daily basis. He certainly didn’t want to add dealing with possibly being haunted into the mix.

Not for the first time, the brunette wanted to throw his arms to the sky and cry out “why me??!!” Tsuna never asked for any of this to happen to him, all he wanted was a peaceful life free of strange happenings and eccentric people – in short, the complete opposite of his life right now.

It wasn’t like there was something special about him that would warrant someone or something to follow him around. Sure, he might be somewhat of a magnet for the more peculiar types of people and he had worst luck than a rotten egg, but he wasn’t conventionally attractive like Yamamoto, or smart like Gokudera, or athletic like Sasagawa-senpai.

He was just plain old Tsuna, who got his nickname from the very fact that he didn’t have talent in anything.

Maybe if he gave it enough time, the mysterious entity will also realize this and leave him alone.

~~~~~

But the “spirit” was surprisingly persistent.

Though Tsuna was no doubt still spooked by the fact that there was someone tailing him for quite an extended period of time, he had come to realize that the person might not be as malicious as he thought. Sure, the stalking aspect was very creepy, but other than that, they haven’t made any attempt on his life.

As a matter of fact, they seemed to be content just simply… _watching_ him, in somewhat of a curious manner. They didn’t try to communicate with him in any way, didn’t made his lights flicker, or appear as apparitions like the ghosts he heard so much about.

No haunting voice whispered in his ear, although that laugh that Tsuna heard that day still kept him awake at times. Somewhere along the way, their presence had become almost familiar to him. Like an old friend that have moved away, but the nostalgic memories made it so that it was like they never left.

It disturbed Tsuna, that he had somehow become used to the presence, only shuddering occasionally when he felt eyes locked onto his back. But he was barely having any time to think about it.

Who in their right mind thought that he would be able to go up against Rokudo Mukuro? The one who had beaten most of the strongest individuals in Namimori? It was madness, utter madness.

And yet he couldn’t deny the urge in him to confront the person who had done so many wrong, had hurt those around him. And with everyone’s support, maybe everything will turn out all right.

But sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better.

For Mukuro had done the unimaginable, he had pitted Tsuna’s friends against him, using their bodies and mocking him with those mis-matched eyes of his. Mukuro knew Tsuna would never raise a hand against his friends, and the illusionist took advantage of that.

As the brunette continue to run, dodging the assault as best as he could, only one thought ran through his mind: _‘Oh god, what am I going to do?’_

The mittens spitted out from Leon doesn’t seem to do anything and when he was first shot with the mysterious bullet, he didn’t feel anything either. But then something did happen. It was if something had been unleashed inside of him, as if a chain had been broken.

The Flame didn’t consume him like when he was in his Dying Will Mode, where his consciousness was focused on one objective. Instead, his mind was clear and calm, and his senses have been heightened to the point where he felt like he could _see_ everything at once.

And in the midst of everything, he heard her.

Even while he was deadly focused on the fight, his ears couldn’t help but pick up a soft voice. _“You can do it, Tsuna.”_

It was the tiniest of whispers, so gentle that he almost believed that he didn’t hear it. But he did. As clear as the day he heard that laugh. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before narrowing once again as Mukuro launched another attack.

A girl’s voice.

That was the first time Tsuna ever heard a tangible voice, and there was no doubt in his mind that the owner of that voice was also the owner of the laugh. Why now then, did she decide to reveal to him?

As he side-stepped countless assaults and retaliated with some of his own, he still heard her ringing in his ears. Small gasps whenever an attack connected, sighs of relief whenever he got back up again, and worrying whimpers as he felt pain travelled throughout his body.

And under it all, he could somehow feel her cheering him on.

_“You can do it, Tsuna.”_

Those words rang endlessly in his mind, long after the person had uttered them. Again and again he repeated them, finding new purpose each time he did. He had sensed the emotions behind them, the trust and sincere belief that she had poured into those words, and he used them to gain strength.

And with that strength, Tsuna was able to defeat Rokudo Mukuro.

~~~~~

Tsuna felt haunted more than ever before. But it was the different kind of haunted, less to do with his fear and the supernatural, and more to do with his rising curiosity for the enigmatic figure that had become a part of his life. When did the brunette decide to accept that? He didn’t entirely know either.

He just knew that after that incident in Kokuyo Land, it was becoming harder to regard that person as a malicious spirit. Not when she had put her belief in him, trusting that he would get through the fight and end up victorious. Though he wasn’t sure what she saw in him.

However, Tsuna couldn’t help but felt good knowing that there was someone who believed in him like that, and it was that knowledge that made him start to think about her presence differently. Especially about the eyes that watched him almost everywhere.

He didn’t know how to explain it, once he had the time to really process everything, he realized that there was just something about them that calmed him, soothed him even though he knew his life was descending into chaos. It was so incredulous that he couldn’t help but laugh sometimes.

“What’s so funny, Dame-Tsuna?”

Tsuna’s back immediately straightened at his tutor’s question. “N-nothing.”

The infant crossed his arms and stared down at the brunette with his large, dark eyes, which only served to unsettle him. “If doing homework is giving you so much joy, then why don’t we add some more supplementary work into the pile?”

“Rebornn!!” He groaned, but knew he couldn’t do anything about it.

Tsuna was reluctant to tell his friends what was wrong, though some of them must have noticed something was off. None, however, had questioned him about it. That was fine and well with Tsuna, who didn’t look forward to explaining whatever it was that’s plaguing him, less they find him crazy.

And oh, how crazy everything was.

His father’s return home seemed to trigger a whole string of events, from the sudden appearance of a long-haired swordsman to the Vongola Rings – one of which somehow got into Tsuna’s possession.

He quickly learned that the they were distributed to other people, most of them people close to him, and that it frankly marked them as targets of the Varia.

Ah yes, the Varia. One must be able to imagine Tsuna’s reaction to hearing about them – the elite assassination squad of the Vongola – and knowing that the swordsman was one of them, he was less than eager to meet the rest of them.

But it seemed that the meeting was inevitable, for they all encountered the assassins one night while on the search for the children. It was when Tsuna was faced with their leader, Xanxus, that he knew true fear. Those cold, cold eyes bore into his soul, promising him retribution with their bloodlust.

Even while training, he couldn’t shake off that feeling of fear. How could he face against a guy like Xanxus in just a matter of days? He wasn’t ready and he knew it. Did she think the same?

Sometimes, Tsuna would find out that he would sense emotions and feelings that weren’t his own, however faintly. Anger, disbelief, nervousness. They appeared for just the briefest of moments, stretched out thin like a thread that threatened to break, but intense nonetheless. He decided that they must be hers.

Were they directed at him? _‘No.’_ Tsuna quickly shook his head, he knew in his heart they weren’t. Then it must be aimed at the situation at hand. Or maybe at the Varia. Or at his dad even, who had gotten them all in this mess in a way. Tsuna wouldn’t blame her if that was true, even now he still wasn’t able to reconcile the image of his lazy dad with the one he saw that night.

Tsuna was glad to know that someone was feeling the same things he was.

Those feelings only intensified with every passing battle. He heard her time and time again, her gasps and breaths of relief now familiar sounds to him. His ears twitched every time, but at least he knew that she was watching them.

Hopefully she will watch his battle too, and Tsuna prayed that like with his fight with Mukuro, she will also believe in him and cheer him on. It was that thought, combined with the resolve to not let his friends get hurt any longer, than fueled his motivation while training.

Finally, the day came.

Tsuna came in knowing that Xanxus would be a different kind of opponent, maybe even more deadly than Mukuro was, and he was right. Each attack of his was calculated and laced with wrath, but Tsuna liked to think that he was more prepared this time. Although that didn’t mean the fight wasn’t difficult.

His heart pounded as he took another hit, and in that moment, he heard another heartbeat. Hers? But he had no time to dwell on it, not when faced with someone out for his blood. So, Tsuna took a deep breath and remembered his training, remembered the people he was fighting for, channeling it into his resolve, silently praying for her to listen to him.

And ice started forming.

By the time the leader of the Varia was entirely encased in ice, Tsuna was completely depleted of energy. And as the brunette sucked in another huge breath, he was glad that it was over.

For the moment, at least.

After everything was done, after the revelation that Xanxus wasn’t the biological son of the Ninth – therefore making him ineligible as heir – Tsuna had turn his head to the side, just for a fraction of a second.

And he saw it.

A faint trail of (H/C) hair that shimmered even in the cover of night, and a most disappointingly brief glimpse of beautiful, (E/C) eyes. Eyes that shone with pride for him.

~~~~~

Tsuna was dismayed to find out that what he saw that night had completely ruined the colors (H/C) and (E/C) for him.

Now, everywhere he went, he couldn’t resist the urge to scan the surroundings, willing for them to appear in his sights again. Every time someone would even remotely match the particular hair shade or eye shade, he would whip his head around so fast it must have alarmed even the passersby. But none even came close to matching. He had even resulted to compare those shades to the colors of certain objects and things around him, but he has yet to find a worthy comparison.

It was her. He had never been more sure of anything in his life, and the fact that she was so close only to disappear again aggravated him to no end. He wanted so desperately to see her again, maybe even meet her.

Who was she, really?

A ghost like he had first thought? A divine spirit? An alien? A shapeshifting creature?

Tsuna had no answers to these questions. And his quest to find these answers would be disrupted when he got sent into the future.

Waking up in a coffin was certainly not how he had imagined his day to go, but as he faced an anguished-looking older Gokudera, who looked at him with disbelief and so, so much sadness, there were only a few ways his mind could go.

As he and Gokudera (the younger one this time) navigated this world, they encountered more people who may be able to tell them what was happening.

The truth about his future self’s death still shocked Tsuna even though he had pondered about it.

It turned out he wasn’t the only one completely bewildered at the thought. His friends were all flabbergasted, yes, but the young mafia boss had felt a powerful heartbreak travelled throughout his body as soon as those words were uttered. One that would conjure up the image of a heart smashing into millions of pieces.

She was in pain from the truth of the future him dying, and that meant that she must care so much for him to feel so deeply. That prospect warmed him, but at the same time his heart ached alongside hers from feeling how hurt she was. Tsuna realized that he never wanted her to feel such pain again.

They all quickly learned of the looming threat, the one named Byakuran and the Millefiore Famiglia. Defeat him and the future will be saved, and they will be able to find their way back to their own time.

What surprised Tsuna though, was the hatred that he sensed when confronted with the white-haired Byakuran for the first time. He could tell that she had tried to force it down, but it still bubbled at the surface, threatening to spill at any moment. For a moment, he thought about what her true wrath was like.

They all threw themselves into training, preparing for a battle that would no doubt demand more from them than the one with the Varia did. They knew little about what to expected and that only drove them to become even stronger, so that they wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ fail _._

Once again Tsuna felt the weight on his shoulders, the sheer force made him grit his teeth as he engulfed his gloves with Flames. No matter how hard he trained, he never truly felt like he was ready, but there was little time for qualms and insecurities, not when one never knew when they would be thrusted into the battlefield.

He could only hope that she will be there for him.

He had become reliant on her presence, leaned on it to guide him and give him the added strength to pull through. She might not be there physically, but he had come to regard her as a dear friend, and everyone knew Tsuna fights for his friends.

So he relied on her, when they infiltrated the Millefiore Base, when they learned of Irie Shoichi’s betrayal as well as his plan with his future self, and even when they lost the Choice Battle. Even when he failed, he relied on her.

And she, in turn, helped pull him back together.

It was crazy how someone who he never met in real life, never even talked to or even know who she was, could become so precious to him. As precious as one of his dearest companions, and it bothered him that he may never find out who she was.

_“Please be all right. Please make it out alive.”_

He had heard her mutter that during his final confrontation with Byakuran, when his mind had become clouded with anger after Uni had sacrificed herself. She had said it pleadingly, with all of the heartfulness she could muster, entreating him to keep that promise to her.

He would not break that promise.

~~~~~

Kozato Enma was one of the few people that Tsuna thought could actually understand him. Maybe it was because they were so alike. It was easy to become friends with him, natural almost, and it seemed that things will mellow out for a while.

But then the announcement came of the Inheritance Ceremony.

Tsuna had only agreed to it to lure out Yamamoto’s attacker, but never in his wildest dreams could he ever imagine that Enma and the Simon Famiglia would become his enemies. Something just wasn’t right, and it seemed that she agreed with him.

Even as it pained him to do so, he watched as his own friends were pitted against Enma’s, and the pit in his stomach opened up even more when he was forced to fight with the redheaded boy. But he just couldn’t accept the story that the Vongola Primo had abandoned the first Simon boss, there was something off.

Tsuna had been wrong about many things, but in this instance, he was right. The Vongola Primo never did betray his dear friend and there was no need for hostility between the Vongola and the Simon. Not when there was a bigger danger in front of them.

When everything was finally over and Tsuna and Enma could finally find themselves laughing sincerely with each other, the brunette wished that she was there so that he could finally introduce his friends to her.

There were some sleepless nights when he would stay up and stare at the space in front of him, willing for someone to appear – willing for _her_ to appear. He brought up that brief glimpse of her that he saw that day in his mind again and again, as if by sheer will he would be able to summon her. But no one ever appeared.

He even tried to talk to her in his mind, asking questions about her but never receiving any answers back.

_“Please, I just want to meet you. Who are you? What’s your name?”_

She never gave a sign that she heard him.

~~~~~

Tsuna barely hesitated when Reborn recruited him for his team.

Though he didn’t quite understand what the situation was, he had a feeling that it would change everything. Furthermore, it looked to be important to Reborn, and Tsuna wanted to help his tutor anyway he can.

When the truth came out, and after realizing that the Arcobaleno Curse will eventually kill him, Tsuna knew he must find another way. He refused to let them die.

With his determination blazing bright and with the support of the people around him as well as her warm and comforting presence that rooted for him, he was able to succeed. Maybe now, everyone will be able to get their happy endings.

But when Reborn asked him to make a choice about becoming the Vongola Decimo or not, Tsuna had to inhale a deep breath before giving his answer.

He refused.

As the words settled, his mind began running at a rapid pace. Would she understand his decision? Would she be disappointed in him?

Her astonishment was no surprise to him, but other than that he didn’t detect any disappointment or disgust, so that was a good sign at least.

Tsuna had refused because after everything, he still didn’t feel ready enough to take the mantle, and he was clearly too young – he was only 14 for god’s sake – and on another note, he didn’t do all of those things he did because he wanted to inherit the title, he was simply motivated by his will to protect his friends.

So for now, he will turn it down.

Tsuna faced his friends, but something tugged at his heartstrings, making him turn his head around. He saw the outline of a figure, faded and wispy and yet tendrils of (H/C) hair and flashes of bright (E/C) eyes told him all he needed to know about who it was. She stretched her gossamer arms out to him, as if wanting to embrace him, and yet as if also wanting to encourage to go on and join his friends.

He had read a bit about the concept of the red strings of fate while on the quest to find out who or what she was. A string that connects two people together, for they are destined to meet. The string can be stretched to its limit and tangled into disarray, but it will never break. He didn’t know if it was fate that connected them together, but whatever it was, he hoped that they will forever be connected.

With one last longing look, he faced ahead and ran towards his awaiting friends. He imagined her in the crowd, so that he could fool himself that he was also running towards her, instead of away.


End file.
